Tuesday, February 27, 2007

My throat was feeling bad today...my ulcer under the tougue was giving me problem
but i still need a run today
So i rush out of office at 6pm
reached and was one of the first few to arrived
As time came closer to 7pm, more runners poured in...quite a good turnout today
tigger briefed the route to take: the standard 9km route in marina south
I started at the back but slowly caught up with the rest...ended up chatting with alvo for the first 4km
My legs was feeling fresh and was feeling restless.....
As alvo and myself reached the jetty round-about, a familiar ger was turning around and she was speed monster fennel....
we maintained good distance behind her as we continue out chat until the country club, were feeling warmed up, i started pcikup my pace...the distance from fennel was getting bigger...i accelerate and maintain at a steady speed....cut a few runners like loti and tigger's fren......near the steamboat area, fennel slowed down becos of a motorbike....i managed to caught up and ran pass her....
still feeling good, i maintained my pace until reaching the marina south park....feeling the strain from the fast pace, i decided to stop my unexpected tempo run at the junction at the end of the park as today was the longest continuous run for me for this year, i decided not to push too much
At the junction, i slowed down to jogging pace and went at a comfortable cool down pace back to the end point....
After a good cool down adn stretch, we proceed as usual to maxwell market for a good dinner before heading home....
Shoes: Brooks Maximus
total distance: 9km
total time : 50:03min
average pace: 5:34mn/km
lap
3.1km - 19:03min@6:09min/km
3.9km - 19:02min@4:53min/km
2.0km - 11:57min@5:59min/km

Found this article ont he website while browsing one of the running forum.....very interesting article that discussed about running injuries at present times....the main cause of it: RUNNING SHOES
one of the interesting part of the article is the description on the history of some brands:
"In 1933, Dunlop launched its Green Flash range of trainers. Adi Dassler (and his brother Rudolf) started making sports shoes in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1920 and in 1936 Jesse Owens wore a pair of them when he won four Olympic gold medals in Berlin. ADIDAS (Adi Dassler) was formed in 1948 with the now famous three stripes logo developing from three support leather bands used to bolster the sides. By the 1956 Olympics, dozens of competitors were wearing ADIDAS shoes. Rudolf Dassler broke away to form PUMA. Amidst the first rumblings of the jogging-boom, NIKE (after the Greek goddess of victory) was launched by American Phil Knight, a former track star at the University of Oregon, and his waffle-making coach Bill Bowerman in 1971(Surely you remember the NIKE Waffle Trainer!). The NIKE ‘Swoosh’ is arguably the most successful logo in the world and was conceived for Phil Knight by a local Oregon graphic design student, Carolyn Davidson, for a total fee of $35."
The last part on what type of shoes we should be wearing:
"3-Runners may want to consider switching to a lightweight shoe that provides less cushioning and no arch support. The only shoes on the market that come close to these characteristics are racing flats. "
The above made me realised something. Adidas seems to be the only shoes company to the lead the trend of reverting us to using lightweight shoes with minimum support....the recent new shoes series have been adizero shoes which weighs much light than any others in the market....they just came out with a adizero PR which is only 3.9oz!!!
Read full Article here:
ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR AND RUNNING INJURIES
BTW, i agreed with this article

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Is a rare chance that I can run MR twice in a week.....
managed to get more pple than before....4 more to be exact
the big carpark A was closed but we still managed to find a good lot.....
Not to many pple in think is CNY week......
we started off together and stick to each others for about 7km before the rest went charging ahead....i was weak and slow so i just carry on my slow pace.....and even walk thru the small hill
finish 10min faster than tues...which is a good improvement...

Friday, February 23, 2007

YES! Is friday! the last "working " day of the week which marks the end of my one week long holiday excluding the weekend.
Today is the most free day for me but i got still to run around to shop later.
Woke up at 7.30am..walaus....holiday still wake up same time as working day
anyway, i slept with my running attire so i just popped out of bed and wear my shoes for a run
Dunnoe where to go and dun want to do a long one, so i stick to the usual 6.5km loop...wanted to do a slow relax one but i failed....
running is tough for me now....at least for every start of the run...i have no feel for my limp movement and weight gain for past few days does impact on the stress that my heart has to work
after the flat "warm up" part.....my legs just pickup speed as my body wanted to clear the slopes asap....and i never slow down again.....finished 3min faster than the last time....but i was panting like a dying dog.
shoes: Adidas Adizzero SN
total distance: 6.5km
total time: 34:22min
average pace: 5:17min/km
lap:
2.9km - 16:13min@5:36min/km
1.6km - 08:02min@5:01min/km
2.0km - 10:06min@5:03min/km

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Hmm...very rare to have the whole week off...
it was wed...official working day for Singapore workers...
company gave one day off and 2 days leave
After over filling my stomach for days...decided more to be done
so i woke up...i ran 16min...i swam 20 laps and ran 14min again to end...
a good recovery workout from yesterday MR
unfortunately, input faster than burning rate.....gain a few Kg more

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

3rd day of CNY...sneaked out for a little run at MR
finally tried to complete the full loop..actually not the complete full...stopped at the fitness station 9.5km mark just out of the trail..
due to the land slide detour, i think is about 10km...run + walking took about 83min
Although not running all the way, but walking at some portion, it was a satisfying run....nice pace and wonderful sun....not crowded as sat morning....
But finding food to eat is a problem at food centres

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Is CNY Eve but running is not off my schedule....decided to take a break from sat MR run since the rest are not available also...then i thought is a good chance to checkout hougang stadium.
The track for stadium opens at 4.30am!!! hmmm....anyway, i jogged abt 2.5km from my house to entrance as a warmed up and reached at 7am...it was the time of the year when the sun rises late...it is still dark but the stadium was full of life!!! Runners already flooded the red rubber track..
Since is a long time ever since i ran on track and wanted to do some form running....i decided to do intervals of 200m with 100m recovery jog...how many times, up to feel...dun want to push so much today.....so in the end, i took 7x200m with 100m recovery in between...not a bad effort
But seems like my adizero SN is a bit too cushioned for the track....maybe if i want to do more track...a new pair of shoes is in consideration
200m -49:62s
100m -37:52s
200m -51:20s
100m -44:52s
200m -48:01s
100m -48:91s
200m -47:33s
100m -55:02s
200m -47:49s
100m -53:90s
200m -47:29s
100m -60:47s
200m -45:25s

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Yes...is the annual Valentine's day but i still do my run....not feeling well the whole day actually...due to some last minute issue...only managed to leave office at 6.50pm..i was feeling sick and weak...thinking of going to the doc...but a good sweating walk from buangkok mrt to my house made me felt better....so once i reached home...i changed up to my running gear and off i went out of the door...
i dun usually carry water bottle during run...i would prefer to use my water bottle pouch...but i am just plain lazy today to get the pouch out....so i just went ahead with my bottle in my hands
it was a cooling nite as i started at about 8pm....the water bottle seems heavy and i have to switch hands constantly to prevent my arms from getting fatigue....my running was heavy and tired as the unbalanced arm swing due to the water bottle disrupted my usual weight distribution....
keep trying to tell myself to go slower..it was until about 3km before my body get real warmed up then i started to go faster for the next 1.6km of up slopes
The last 2km was a bit of struggle as it was also upslope all the way plus the strong headwind....causing a good resistance training.....
Managed to finish the run in one piece at least with a decent timing on this lovely nite
shoes: ASICS Nimbus VII
total distance: 6.5km
total time: 37:02min
average pace: 5:42min/km
lap:
2.9km -17:10min@5:55min/km
1.6km -08:41min@5:26min/km
2.0km -11:10min@5:35min/km

Monday, February 12, 2007

Since morning, i have been having monday blues...another reason for it is that i was unable to discipline myself to get out of the comfortable bed in the aircon room for a morning run.....
So i decided a run is a MUST tonite.....late afternoon, sky getting dark due to the cumulated clouds....pray and pray that rain will not come (it came yesterday afternoon)
Finally, off from work and dashed home to get changed up...out of the door in no time....
decided to do just a 4km run...but maybe a bit faster one.....legs felt hard at first but becos fot he initiate downslope for the 1st 2km, it was easily warmed up....i was already running too fast before i reached the U-turn point.....
Second 2km was tough as usual due to the upslope ill the end....i just tried to maintain my effort and push a bit faster to finish it within 10min....my heart was pumping so fast that it seems to jump out soon
seldom speed....and dun like speed...i prefer long slow comfortable run......
But this run shows that my legs are ready..no tiredness on the legs going upslopes...only breathless and hard pumped heart.....so my heart and lungs are not ready.....need more run consistently for conditioning.....
till the next run.........................................................................................
shoes: adizero SN
total distance: 4km
total time: 20:30min
ave speed: 5:08min/km
laps:
2km for 10:37@5:18min/km
2km for 09:57@4:57min/km

I trying to form a new habit...but i have failed for the past one month....
someone said " it takes 21 days for a habit to form"
I think it takes more than 21 days of trying to get it started...
and another someone also said:
"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." ~Jim Ryun
I guess my motivation for the habit is not strong enough.......
someone else said also: "The most difficult thing about morning run is to get out of the bed. Once you are out of the door, half the run is done"
I guess my motivation to be on my comfortable bed is stronger than the urge to be in my running shoes at this moment

Saturday, February 10, 2007

I was late today due to my sleepy bowel not moving fast enough this morning....causing the run to start only at about 8.30am
as usual JO went chionging at her fast pace for the whole MR loop, SL took the usually run to ranger station and back by the northern route while i tag along JJJ to ran the northern route to the clubhouse and back...the same 6km as last week.....
This week MR was crowded with more runners from school compared to last week...we also met a few groups of visitors to the tree top walk including primary school scouts....but no monkeys at all unlike last week....
The weather was hot but the trail was cool enough for a comfortable run.....ran in at a much faster pace and reached the U-turn point about 1:45min faster than last week....rested only 3min this time before returning back to the start point......and this stretch was about 40sec faster than last week
A good short run overall.....but my tummy seems to be growing with all the good food and lack of exercise...look like i need a twice dose of long run per week soon to burn it off.....
SL got to catch an appoint so she left us after washup....JO suddenly suggested to go and find the famous BKT at Sim Ming Ave and our Food Adventure begins HERE

Friday, February 09, 2007

What is Kampong spirit?
When you need a boat, even the aunties with sarong also come and help
What is enjoying life?
Find a big tree with close friends and sit under it to past the time away without any worries
What is a Tsumami?
Nevermind what it is. Just read this when you are at the beach and follow the instructions.
What is rule number one before you enter a toilet?
remember to let it out after you have eaten
photos from places in Bali, Sanur beach, Tanjong Benoa, Mount Agung mother temple

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

"I still bother with runners I call hamburgers. They're never going to run any record times, but they can always fulfill their own potential."
- Bill Bowerman, legendary University of Oregon track coach
So are u a hamburger???

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

went for my second CBD run today......saw tigger, bee, ronnie, juwanti, petia, tiwazz, loti, junie, anglica, philips, st,.......
went off sweeping the back as usual...i cannot run faster than that.....reached jetty in 20min.....after 5min from jetty, began to walk with this new guy who have not been running for v long time...so he walk, i walk, he ran, i ran and we complete in 47min
dinner as usual at maxwell...more crowded than usual...maybe is CNY coming

Sunday, February 04, 2007

First time exercise for 2 days over the weekend....
Sat:
I finally felt i was good enough to start a little run at MR. Reached at about 8am....there i found the place to be full of students....3 groups: SRJC who is having their annual X-country, caneoist and regular school runners training....
The weather is good and after so many days of no raining, i guess the trail should be good to run....as i was walking towards the start of the trail at northern route, this caneoist kid in front of me was carrying a packet of cooked food towards his caneo when he was attacked by a monkey!! stupid idiot, first time come MR is it? i ask him to throw his food away for the monkey by he just refused and carry on running, the monkey already scratched a hole at the plastic bags....i really dunnoe what happened to him as he run and run with the monkey chasing behind.
Started my run slowly and decided to do a 6km, 3km towards the club house and U-turn back.....along the way, i was cut by the students training for their run.....not very crowded by a lot of runners...i guess because of SRJC X-country at the other end, they have diverted their training to this side of the trail.....i started with my legs still tight and ache from thurs run....after about 10min, it was all loosen up..
rearched the club house at 23++min...took a little 5min break before i do the return trip....the return trip was full of down slopes so i tends to go faster and also due to the fact, my body has warmed up....finished in abt 22min....
Took a quick change and went for Mee Rebus at the cafe before heading home....
Reached home and got out of teh house immediately without rest......with full day f activities.....after appointment ended, took a small walk down the quiet amoy street:
Reached a small park:
turned around the park and saw the oldest temple in Sinagpore:
and also found this barricaded building....the number is 1818...wow...wonder if it is the year it was built or just another 4D number....look like a mosque
just beside the building and saw this shop selling China Moutai!! One fot he most expensive alcohol from China
Reached Chinatown and saw this deco at the junction of Hotel 81:
out f the Chinatown MRT and head on with the crowd......
Year of the Pig in 2 weeks time so Pig is the most outstanding deco including piggy bank:
walked for 2hrs and was tired from the energy zapping and lack of oxygen walk with the huge crowd...went home and collapsed early
Sun:
After the morning activity, something just struck me that maybe i should go and dip water....the water have been cold and i was a bit worried...but something just pull me along.....i decided to go to GE, the most deserted public pool....i was just 100m away from the entrance when i felt droplets of water coming down....damn....when i just want to swim it came......but it stopped after a few min.....
at 2pm, i went into the complex and changed and saw the olympic pool having only 2 swimmers...i thought what happened or is it closed.....i observed around and seems to be normal....so i just dip into the cold water and no one stopped me....wow! only 3 swimmers and i saw 4 lifeguards around........
I quickly started my swim to warm up and after 2 laps....it does not feel cold any more...slowly, more guys in swim trunk came....and guess what....they are not swimming.....it is a sight to see 8-10 guys swim tanning by the pool and only left 2 guys (including me) swimming in the water.....
There are swimming lessons for the kids but is conducted at the training pool...unlike other pool like bedok and tampines, i will expect >10 groups of classes in the Olympic pool especially during th weekend.....
I kept swimming laps alternating front crawl and breast stroke....i did not swim for a year and swimming is as tough as running a marathon to me now....struggling to get back my form....i was swimming badly and slowly......after completing about 20 laps with lots of break in between, i just rest by the pool for a moment....
now there were 3 swimmers....after 3pm, a group of swim classes came to the olympic pool for training....i had enough and left the water for food at the coffee shop outside the complex before heading home......
as i was typing...my whole body are aching....heading for bed soon

Thursday, February 01, 2007

I was a day of running today....i started running right from the start of the day..
starting chasing mrt in the morning when going to work...
went out for lunch at beach road...i was out at the traffic junction when I saw the bus came to the bus-stop...the light strike red and i sprint down 300m to the next bus stop to catch it
i was going home when i spotted my bus coming 200m away...i pick up my feet and sprint down another 300m to catch it
reached home late at 7.30pm but i decided to go for a short run.....run is not short for me nowadays.....
wanted to do a 4km today...instead of doing loop at the 2km round, i decided to run down to YCK road and U-turn......legs were still heavy from my last run on tues......the first half is a down slope so went a bit too fast.....back 2km was upper slope so i was panting all the way....
finish exhausted....seems like i have ran a 30km 3 mths back....arrrgghhh......need to be consistent to get my fitness back...my tummy has grown and added more stress to my knees....
Shoes: Asics Nimbus VII
total distance: 4km
total time: 22:26min
lap:
2km for 11:26min@5:43min/km
2km for 11:00min@5:30min/km